Recycle Your Instant Coffee Pods With 15 Awesome DIY Projects

Instant coffee makers, like Keurig and Nespresso machines, are great for saving time in the morning and money at the coffee shop. However, the pods these machines use aren”t very eco-friendly. In 2013, Keurig produced 8.3 billion plastic K-cups, enough cups to wrap around the world 10 and a half times. Unfortunately, most of these K-Cups are thrown in the trash rather than recycled, and end up in landfills.

If you”re a K-Cup or Nespresso coffee drinker, think twice before throwing away the packaging. Instead of tossing it in the garbage, why not turn it into an awesome, upcycled DIY project? Check out the amazing creations below and hack into your coffee pod”s true potential. Not only will you be helping the environment, but you”ll have a one-of-a-kind piece of handmade art to show off, or an inventive new way to save time and money.

1. Clean out K-cups, add a little bit of water, and fill them with fresh herbs. Stick them in the freezer and keep them on hand to add to soups and sauces.

2. Reuse K-cups as organizers for office and craft supplies.

3. All you need is a little glue and a thin piece of cardboard to turn a K-cup into a one-of-a-kind stamp.

Check out the full tutorial here.

4. Cut holes in the bottom of Nespresso pods and add them to a string of Christmas lights for a year-round decorative garland.

See how it”s done here.

5. Use pods as tiny planters for an indoor herb garden.

6. Hang them from the ceiling for ethereal, tiny hanging planters.

Read the instructions here.

7. Crushed Nespresso pods can be made into a colorful decorative curtain for your home.

8. Or, use the pods to create a fun lamp shade.

9. Use K-cups for a tiny take on this sparkle ball DIY project.

10. K-cups make perfect molds for tiny kid-perfect popsicles.

Or, make them using the coffee you brewed with the cups.

11. Buy some K-cup caps and reuse them for coffee or for perfectly portioned kid snacks.

12. It”s hard to believe this gorgeous necklace is made from used Nespresso pods.